Presser-foot-controlling device



Patented lidar.. lid, W2@

rnnrix r. wrriros, or' nriwronr, New HAMPSHIRE.

ERESSER-FOOTCONTROLLING DEVICE.

`Application filed .A ugust 11, 1922. Serial No. 581,120.

To o'ZZ r11/720m t may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK F. lVrrKUS,a citizen of the United States, aresident of Newport, in the county of Sullivanand the A T 12 l' @tate ofhcw ilampshire, have invented an improvement in Presser-Foot-ControllingDevices, of which the following is a speci-v tication.

This invention relates to that class of sewing; machines having apresser foot of the wheel type, which is held against the work in closeproximity t the reciprocating needle and is s0 supported that it may notonly be lifted vertically from the work, in the usual manner, but mayalso be moved laterally from its normal position adjacent the needle,after it has heen lifted, to a position. at one side thereof, s0 that itwill not be in the way of the operator, when it becomes necessary t0thread the needle or make adjustments which would otherwise beinterfered with bythe foot.'

Prior to my invention the movement of the presser foot t0 and fromnormal position has usually heen performed by hand after the foot hasbeen raised t0 its fullest extent.

The present invention specifically relates to a modified form of aninvention genericallvv claimed by me in ya concurrently filedapplication Serial No. 581.118.

The object of the present invention is to provide, in a machine of theabovedescribed character, means whereby the presser wheel will berigidly locked against lateral movement when in lowered position, andwill be automatically swung away4 from the needle to an inoperativeposition during the latter portion of the li fting movement of thepresser bar, and which, when the presser bar is released by its liftingmeans, may either be returned to the normal position againaut-ornatically` or may be retained in the inoperative position,according to the extent to which the operator raises the presser bar,

I accomplish thislobiect by providing` a sleeve which is swiveled on thepresser har. which supports the presser wheel, and is adapted andarranged to be rotated by a cam action thereon when the bar is lifted.

For a more complete disclosure of the in-Y ventionq reference is made tothe accompanyingi drawing, in which:

Figs. l and 2 are side and front elevations of a sewing machine pressermechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the presser in raised position.

F igs. 4 and 5 are central longitudinal sectional views of the'lower endportion of the presser bar, showing the parts in different positions. y

Fig. 6 is a detail view ofthe presservSheel-supporting cam sleeve whichIcemp oy.

In the drawing, the needle bar casing. 1 is shown as provided with theusual vertically movable, downwardly spring-actuated presser bar 2,which is adapted to be lifted by a hand lever` or by a foot, or kneeoperated lever, located beneath the machine table. both means beingusually employed and the lever beneath the table being connected to thebar through a chain and a collar, as 3, which is clampedon the bar.

According to my present invention, the lower end portion of the bar 2 isformed with a bore 2aL which extends for a substantial portion of itslength and a rod 4 is reciprocally mounted in said bore and has a crosspin 5 therein. which extends through slots 2b in the bar, and holds saidrod from rotationl therein, but permits Ilimited reciprocatory movementthereof.

A sleeve 6 is mounted on the bar 2 and is provided with a cam-slot 6atherein. the intermediate portion of which `extends helically thereof.and is pro-vided with a longitudinally extendingf recess 6b at its upperend and a similar recess 6c at its lower end, both of which extendupward from the slot. A screw 7 is fixed in the rod 4, said screwextending through slot-2cv in the bar, which extends longitudinallythereof and has itsl head located in the cam-slot 6a. An arm 8, bearingthe presser wheel 9, is attached to the sleeve, and is adapted to beheld thereby in proximity to the needle when in normal position. v Aplug l() is located in the lower end of the bore of the bar 2 and isfixed therein by means of a. pin'll, which does not extend beyond thesurface of the bar, and a spring 12 is located in the bore between theadjacent ends of the rod 4 and plugr 10.

The sleeve 6 is provided with an internal liange 14 at its lower endwhich is adapted to engagethe lower end .of the bar 2 and to receivethe` plug and said plug is' provided with a shoulder 10a, which engagesthe outer side of the flange 14, so that the sleeve is locked againstlongitudinal movementon the bar 2, but is free to rotate thereon, aswivel connection between the sleeve and bar thus being provided.

In the normal position of the parts, and when the presser bar islowered, so that the wheel may engage the work, the action. of thespring 12 on the rod l will force the same upward, so that the head ofthe screw 7 therein will be carried into the upper recess 6b, of the camslot 6% in which position the sleeve will be rigidly looked on the bar 2against rotary movement in either direction, and as the sleeve isrigidly held against longitudinal movement, the presser wheel will befirmly locke-d on the bar when the parts are in this position. When thebal,` is raised, to lift the wheel from the work, there will be nolateral. movement of the wheel during the first portion of the movement,but when it is raised sufficiently to cause the cross bar 5 to engagethe under side ofthe casing, the inner rod l will be held stationary,and, as the bar and sleeve are lifted still further, the screw 7 will beengaged with the helical portion of the cam slot 6", causing the sleeve(i to be rotated to the left and swinging the presser wheel awayV fromthe needle, as shown in Figure 3. If the bar 2 is not raised to thehighest. point possible and the bar is then lowered. the spring 12,which will have been compressed on the lifting movement, will cause thereverse operation to take place, so that the presser wheel Vwill beautomatically returned to the normal position. If, however, the bar israised to its fullest extent, the screw 7 will engage sleeve G in therecess 6c. so that, when the bar is loweredq the wheel will be retainedin its inoperative position, and, when it is desired to return it tooperative position it will be necessary to start the return movement byhand, and then the spring 12 will finish the return movement.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine having a vertically movable presser bar, apresser-footcarrying arm at the lower end of said bar, means for lockingsaid arm against movement relatively to said bar vwhen the arm is innormal position and the bar islowered, means for automatically unlockingsaid arm, and swinging the same away from its said normal position vwhenthe bar is raised to a predetermined extent and means for auto- Lasa/riematically returning the arm to normal position when the bar is lowered.

2. In a sewing machine having a vertically movable presser bar, apresser-footcarrying arm at the lower end of said bar, means for lockingsaid arm against movement relatively to said bar when the arm is innormal position and the bar is lowered7 means for automaticallyunlocking said arm, and swinging the same away from its sai-d normalposition to an inoperative position when the bar is partly raised, meansarranged to retain the arm in said inoperative position when the bar israised to the upper limits of its movement and means tending to returnthe arm to normal position.

3. In a sewing machine having a vertically movable presser bar, apresser-foot carrying arm mounted on the lower end portion of said barto swing about the same, and means carried by said bar and arranged forreciprocal movement rela-tively thereto, when the bar is raised and lowered to engage said arm and swing the same from normal position duringthe upward movement of the bar. and to return the arm to normal positionduring its downward movement.

4;. In a sewing machine having a vertically movable pres er bar. asleeve rotatablyv mounted on said bar and having a presser foot carryingarm extending therefrom, and an operating device carried by said bar andarranged for reciprocal movement relative thereto, said device havingengaging means for holding the same stationary as the bar is lifted anda cam member for engaging said sleeve and moving the same rotatably toswing said 'arm out of normal position during the upward movement of thebar.

5. In a sewing machine having a vertically movable presser bar, apresser-footcarrying arm mounted thereon to swing rotatably about thesame, anv operating device carried by said bar and arranged forreciprocal movement relative thereto, a spring arranged to move saiddevice from its lowermost to its uppermost position relative to the bar,means on sai-d operating device arranged to hold the same stationary asthe bar is lifted. and a cam member thereon arranged to swing said armout of normal position during the upward movement of the bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK F. VVITKUS.

